ARIZONA SHOULD ATTACK

For much of the game, the Wildcats seemed on their heels and unwilling to extend pressure against a club lacking a point guard on the roster.

Desperate times lead to desperate measures. Late in the game, Arizona coach Sean Miller’s club turned what looked to be a comfortable defeat into a wild and crazy finish that ended in victory.

Arizona’s pressure forced four turnovers in the final minute, and thanks to a missed Kenny Boynton free throw, the game was there to be had.

Trailing by five in the final minute—amid the chaos of the turnovers—Kevin Parrom hit two free throws, Solomon Hill had a layup, Grant Jerrett contributed another free throw and then that set up Mark Lyons’ heroics on the game-winner.

Lyons, the transfer senior point guard, hit a driving layup with 7.1 seconds, over an outstretched Patric Young, to win the game. And then the Wildcats forced another turnover to prevent a final attempt by Florida.

"We couldn't quite handle the pressure and I think that's what cost us the game," Young told reporters.

DON’T FORGET HILL

For all the acclaim for Arizona’s trio of top-notch freshmen big men and the attention paid to Lyons, veteran do-it-all forward Solomon Hill still might be the team’s best player.

He certainly was the most effective against Florida.

Forced to play power forward and center for much of his junior year despite being generously listed at 6-7, Hill is back at his more natural small forward spot this year with the influx of young talent. His versatility was on full display against the Gators.

Hill drove the ball, he spotted up for jump shots, he made clutch plays when the team needed them most.

He hit five of nine field-goal attempts, including two 3-pointers, to finish with 18 points.

"It's a great day for us," Hill said. "Both teams looked ugly at times, we both made our share of bad plays, but we kept staying in there and fighting."

MURPHY A STAR

The stretch-4 is all the rage in the NBA with scouts always in search of a big man who can stretch the defense with his shooting range, can thrive in pick-and-pop situations and handle the ball well enough to punish defenders who overplay his jump shot.

Well, Florida has perhaps the best such player in the country in Erik Murphy. The 6-10 senior is developing into a star, showing more versatility this season.

He repeatedly burned the young Arizona big men, who struggled to switch and recover, on Saturday night. Murphy hit three of five 3-point attempts as a spot-up shooter and even put the ball on the floor to drive past the defense for a layup. He also grabbed four offensive rebounds en route to a 15-point night.